Subscribe to our channel! rupt.ly/subscribe

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that free coronavirus tests for the public would come to an end on October 11 in a bid to persuade more people to get vaccinated at a press conference in Berlin on Tuesday.

Speaking alongside Berlin Mayor Michael Muller and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Soder after the latest virus summit, Merkel said that there would be exceptions with free tests remaining for people unable to get jabbed.

"Now that we can offer a vaccine to every citizen, we will be ending the free COVID tests on October 11 for all who can be vaccinated. Of course, we will not be doing this for those who are unable to be vaccinated due to health reasons or other reasons," she said.

The federal government also extended the mask requirement in shops and public transit.

She noted the slowing vaccination rate, saying that "due to the Delta variant the pandemic is not over and rate of vaccination is currently not where it should be."

Merkel also reported vaccination statistics for Germany at 55.1 percent fully vaccinated and 62.5 percent who have received at least one shot.

The chancellor also touched on the funds that would dedicated to long term help in rebuilding the damage done by devastating flooding in western Germany.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (German): "We are now focused, as the number of infections rises, on those who have not yet been vaccinated. Now that we can offer a vaccine to every citizen, we will be ending the free COVID tests on October 11 for all who can be vaccinated. Of course, we will not be doing this for those who are unable to be vaccinated due to health reasons or other reasons."

SOT, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (German): "We are no longer leading Europe in vaccinations, there are a few countries more willing to be vaccinated than Germany, and as of today we have 55.1 percent of the population fully vaccinated and 62.5 who have received one jab. We have a bit of a margin between states but the good news is over 80 percent of those over 60, who are much more at risk than younger people, are vaccinated. That is a considerable defence which brings me to the good news of the vaccine's efficacy against the Delta variant especially in severe cases during this pandemic."

SOT, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (German): "Medical and protective masks will remain mandatory in shops and public transit. We will review these measures every four weeks."

SOT, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (German): "We concluded that the current state of the epidemic must be extended nationwide and unfortunately due to the Delta varian the pandemic is not over and rate of vaccination is currently not where it should be therefore restrictive measures will be necessary in the future."

#Merkel #COVID19 #coronavirus #Germany #Deutschland

Video ID: 20210810-047

Video on Demand: https://ruptly.tv/videos/20210810-047
Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Ruptly
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ruptly